Arizona Shooting

Dad Chased Loughner Just Before Rampage

And police paid several visits to his home.

If only he’d thought to call the police: On the morning of the Gabrielle Giffords’ shooting, suspect Jared Loughner’s father stopped to ask his son why he was removing a black bag from the trunk of his car. Loughner mumbled something and ran into the desert; his father gave chase for awhile in his truck, but eventually gave up. It turns out too that the police had been called to the Loughners’ home before the shooting on more than one occasion, although the exact nature of those calls has not yet been revealed. Police have also found more disturbing notes from Loughner, including one that said “Die, bitch”—a reference, they believe, to Giffords.